SAN DIEGO, April 19, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- National Pets @ Work Day is not just one day to bring pets to work, but instead a daylong celebration to spotlight the mutual benefits of having pets in the workplace every day. Petco believes healthier pets make happier people, which makes the world a better place — and that translates to the workplace, too.

Petco established National Pets @ Work Day in 2016 to celebrate the growing number of pet-friendly workplaces, raise awareness for the mutual benefits of having pets at work, and to encourage more employers to consider going pet-friendly. Since its launch, the company continues to advocate for pet-friendly workplaces and the benefits proven to come with it.

"At Petco, we encourage our corporate employees to bring their furry, scaled and four-legged pets to work every day, all year long," said CEO Brad Weston. "Not only do we love having our pets with us throughout the work day, but we benefit as an employer too. The pets in our offices help promote employee engagement and foster increased connection among different teams and departments. We hope more businesses will join us in creating workplaces where people and pets can spend more time together strengthening their own relationships and their work communities at the same time."

Research continues to show that having a pet – or even just interacting with one – has positive effects on both animals and people. These numerous studies show that bringing pets to the office can help:

Improve employee health: With the stress and pressure that work can sometimes bring, the presence of animals – including even fish in tanks – can help reduce heart rate and blood pressure. Studies have also shown that dog and cat parents made fewer animal doctor visits than non-pet parents.

Reduce stress: A study of pet-friendly businesses found that employees' self-reported stress levels declined when their dogs were present, while stress increased for non-pet parents and for pet parents who did not bring their dogs to work.

Increase focus and promote creativity: Dogs remind us to get up and take breaks, and most of the time that means taking Fido for a walk outside. Research shows that walking, especially outdoors, can increase creative ideation in real time and shortly after, which have been shown to improve employee morale, productivity and focus.

Enhance socialization among co-workers: Pets can act as catalysts for human social interactions. In fact, just being in the presence of pets can increase the frequency of social interactions, especially with strangers, because they can be a conversation starter.

Improve productivity: When pet parents don't have to worry about rushing home to their pets for bathroom or exercise breaks, they may be more likely to stay and enjoy office happy hours or other activities.

Petco's corporate offices, both in San Diego and San Antonio, have always been pet-friendly. For employers that want to allow pets at the office, Petco recommends a few space considerations and a thorough policy to ensure pets and people can co-exist safely and comfortably at all times.

Assuring pets are healthy is the first step when bringing pets into the workplace. PetCoach, Petco's online source for digitally-delivered pet health advice, offers tips to help pet parents prepare their dog for office life, including making sure pets' veterinary care is current and their appearance and manners are office-worthy; and signs to know when dogs shouldn't go to work with you.

To celebrate National Pets @ Work Day, Petco will be conducting a Facebook contest to solicit the best photos of pets at work in the comments on the contest post – the top submissions will have a chance to win one of five $50 Petco gift cards.

Pet parents and their four-legged (or finned, fuzzy or scaly) officemates are invited to join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #PetsAtWorkDay; and follow Petco on Instagram for an inside look at our pet-friendly office space and animal office mates. For more information, visit about.petco.com/pets-at-work.

About Petco and the Petco FoundationWith more than 50 years of service to pet parents, Petco is a leading pet specialty retailer that obsesses about delivering health and happy experiences for pets and the people who love them. We do this by providing the products, services, advice and experiences that keep pets physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged and emotionally happy. Everything we do is guided by our vision for Healthier Pets. Happier People. Better World. We operate more than 1,500 Petco and Unleashed by Petco locations across the U.S., Mexico and Puerto Rico; prescription services and pet supplies from the leading veterinary-operated pet product supplier, Drs. Foster & Smith; digitally-delivered pet health advice through PetCoach; and petco.com. The Petco Foundation, an independent nonprofit organization, has invested more than $200 million since it was created in 1999 to help promote and improve the welfare of companion animals. In conjunction with the Foundation, we work with and support thousands of local animal welfare groups across the country and, through in-store adoption events, help find homes for more than 400,000 animals every year.